It's Official: Mankind is Ready for Space Travel

"Widge," you might well ask, "we didn't know you were an expert on space travel. Why is it that now you choose to put your name up there on the list with Clarke and Dyson and Burroughs as to those people saying, 'Go! Go into space! The time is right! Why now, Widge?" You might be asking this right about now.

And the answer is thus: we don't have to suck coffee out of a bag in zero gravity any longer. No sir, no ma'am. We can use a flexible cup-like thing and some laws of physics that I can't wrap my head around. Screw the details--venti coffees in space, people! That means we've achieved what Michio Kaku would term a Type .73 Civilization! Represent!